Power to the

PeopleDeath and Resurrection DVD, Lesson 9

The Big 3

Pesach aka Passover Mar/Apr

Shavuot aka Pentecost May/Jun 50 days after Passover/Pesach

Sukkot aka Tabernacles Sep/Oct

All Men

Per Jewish law all adult men had to attend all 3 Had to go to Jerusalem The population of Jerusalem would swell

to maybe 1 million

After DBR

Jesus was with the disciples for 40 days (Acts 1:3)

That leaves 10 days btwn His ascension and Pentecost

Points of Interest

The house

The fire, wind

Worship

Baptism

Tongues understood

3,000

Acts 2 – Where?

General agreement that it is the Temple Not universal agreement

The number of people present

The time of day

The events synch with the Temple

Ruins of Temple’s southside staircase

Ruins of Temple’s southside staircase

Southside staircase

SouthsideStaircaseruins

Temple

In the OT, the temple is often called “the house” of God

The time of day is 9 a.m. A scheduled time of prayer aka worship

time

3,000 baptized No private house would fit this situation

Temple

This south side of the Temple also had many mikvoths (pools) They were used by Temple worshippers

to become ritually “clean” RVL likes this as the site of Acts 2

These steps were also used by rabbis as “classrooms”

Dedication of the Tabernacle

Signs of God’s presence Ex 40:34-38 “Then the cloud covered the tent of

meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. Moses was not able to enter the tent of meeting because the cloud settled on it and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. But when the cloud was lifted up from the tabernacle, the Israelites would set out on all their journeys; but if the cloud was not lifted up, then they would not journey further until the day it was lifted up. For the cloud of the Lord was on the tabernacle by day, but fire would be on it at night, in plain view of all the house of Israel, throughout all their journeys.

Dedicating Solomon’s Temple

Signs of God’s presence II Chron 5: 7 “The priests brought the

ark of the covenant of the Lord to its assigned place in the inner sanctuary of the temple, in the most holy place under the wings of the cherubs.”

Dedicating Solomon’s Temple

Signs of God’s presence II Chron 5:11-14 “The priests left the holy

place. All the priests who participated had consecrated themselves, no matter which division they represented. … They played cymbals and stringed instruments as they stood east of the altar. … The trumpeters and musicians played together, praising and giving thanks to the Lord. … they loudly praised the Lord, singing: “Certainly he is good; certainly his loyal love endures!” Then a cloud filled the Lord’s temple. The priests could not carry out their duties because of the cloud; the Lord’s splendor filled God’s temple.”

Pentecost

Signs of God’s presence Acts 2:1-3 “Now when the day of Pentecost

had come, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like a violent wind blowing came from heaven and filled the entire house where they were sitting. And tongues spreading out like a fire appeared to them and came to rest on each one of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit, and they began to speak in other languages as the Spirit enabled them. ”

God Moves InSinai

Ex 19:16-19 fire, smoke/cloud and thunder

Ex 32:1-4,19-20,27-28 the golden calf, 3,000 die

Ex 31:18 law on tablets of stone

II Chron 5:7-8, 13-14 in the desert God led as cloud and fire and then moved into Solomon’s temple

Pentecost

Acts 2:1-3 sound of wind, fire (in Heb “holy spirit” is “holy wind)

Acts 2:41 3,000 are reborn

II Cor 3:3 & Jer 31:33 law on people’s hearts

Rom 8:9 & I Cor 3:16-17 the wind & fire of Acts 2 is God moving from the Temple into His people

Language(s)

Gen 11 mankind aspires to become like God Languages come into being and people

are divided

Acts 2 the apostles speak and everyone hears them in their homeland’s language

Shavout

Lev 23:15-22

AKA the Feast of Weeks

To the Jews this is also the day God gave Moses the Torah

Thanking God for the wheat harvest

Shavout

Lev 23:15-22

Note vs 22 “When you gather in the harvest of your land, you must not completely harvest the corner of your field, and you must not gather up the gleanings of your harvest. You must leave them for the poor and the foreigner. I am the Lord your God.’”

Shavout

Lev 23:15-22

Taking care of the poor was part of the Feast of Shavout!

Thank God for what He has given you AND share what you have with those in need

Shavout

Lev 23:15-22 & Acts 2:42-47

Acts 2:44-45 “All who believed were together and held everything in common, and they began selling their property and possessions and distributing the proceeds to everyone, as anyone had need.”

Temple Ritual on Shavout

Exodus 19:1-20:26

Ezekiel 1:22-28

Ruth

Temple Ritual on Shavout

Ex 19:1-20:26 Israel arrives at Sinai Cleansing of the people Moses receives the 10 Commandments

Temple Ritual on Shavout

Ez 1:22-28 Over the heads of the living beings was

something like a platform, … . Under the platform their wings were stretched out, each toward the other. Each of the beings also had two wings covering its body. When they moved, I heard the sound of their wings – it was like the sound of rushing waters, or the voice of the Almighty, or the tumult of an army. ...

Temple Ritual on Shavout

Ez 1:22-28

Then there was a voice from above the platform over their heads when they stood still. ... High above on the throne was a form that appeared to be a man. I saw an amber glow like a fire enclosed all around from his waist up. From his waist down I saw something that looked like fire. There was a brilliant light around it, ... This was the appearance of the surrounding brilliant light; it looked like the glory of the Lord. When I saw it, I threw myself face down, and I heard a voice speaking.

Temple Ritual on Shavout

Ruth Daughter-in-law of a Jewish mother

(Naomi) Moabite Boaz example in taking care of her

Gleanings and field corners

One simple act of kindness had ETERNAL impact Ancestor of David and therefore of Jesus